In today’s programming world, simply knowing syntax and writing clean, working code is not enough. Technical skills are fundamental, yes — but what often determines success is not just how well you code, but how well you communicate and build connections.

What is networking?

Networking is about building and maintaining professional and personal relationships within your industry. This includes participating in meetups, conferences, online communities, engaging in discussions on platforms like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and LinkedIn. It’s a way to stay visible and be in the right place at the right time.

Why is networking so important?

1. Knowledge Exchange

There are countless non-obvious solutions in IT. By discussing challenges and approaches with others, you broaden your perspective and learn to find answers much faster than you would alone.

2. Career Growth and Opportunities

Let’s be realistic: Many employers in IT today value openness, friendliness, and the ability to collaborate even more than technical proficiency. If you’re a team player, easy to approach, and not afraid to ask for help — that’s a huge advantage. Before investing serious time and energy into learning programming, especially later in life, ask yourself honestly: Am I a team player or more of an individualist? Today, nearly all development work happens in teams. Even when you have your own task, you’ll regularly be asked to help colleagues or get pulled into team discussions. This requires patience, the ability to switch context, and a strong sense of balance — help others, but don’t forget your own deadlines. And ideally, manage all this without overwhelming stress (or at least learn to control it).

3. Facing today’s market reality

Let’s add some hard truth. As of March 2025, the market is oversaturated with developers, especially juniors. Networking doesn’t deliver results overnight — building a real professional network takes about a year. And if your contacts consist of 100 people, 90 of whom are fellow students, then sorry, you don’t really have a network yet. They’re in the same position as you, still outside the real professional circle.

So, start socializing with professionals while you’re still studying. Otherwise, after finishing your course, you’ll spend another year just building that network. And during that year, you’ll need to make a living somehow — maybe working in retail or food service (figuratively, or even literally). You’ll have to keep maintaining your presence in the tech community and, after work, keep building projects to stay sharp.

This is not a theoretical scenario — this has been the reality for the past 3–4 years. Despite the growing need for developers, employers aren’t eager to hire beginners. Most jobs go to those who come recommended or are already known within the professional circle. So, start building your network now. The sooner, the better. Ideally, as soon as you start your first personal development project, start actively networking with professionals at the same time.

4. Support and shared experience

Being part of a professional community helps not only in solving work-related issues but also in staying motivated and confident, especially during challenging times.

5. Personal brand building

When you participate in discussions, share your projects, and help others — people start seeing you as part of the professional community. Sooner or later, this will pay off, either in exciting project invitations or job offers.

How to start building your network?

• Keep your LinkedIn and GitHub profiles alive and updated.
• Attend conferences, meetups, hackathons — even local or small ones.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions and engage in discussions in professional chats and forums.
• Share your projects, even small ones. Visibility matters. (Here’s an article on the importance of personal projects: Transform Learning into Experience Now)
• Follow experienced professionals in your field and comment on their posts.

Conclusion

Networking is not a luxury — it’s part of the profession. And right now, with fierce competition in the job market, it’s one of the most effective tools for landing a job. Programming is no longer a lonely activity. Without surrounding yourself with a network and community, it will be tough to move forward. So start building that network today — the earlier you begin, the better. And don’t wait until after you finish studying. Start now.